Fortune Cookie Maker Nixes Romantic Messages After Parents Complain

Perhaps no one gets more delight out of reading a fortune cookie’s message than a kid — “I’m going to triumph in all my endeavors today! What’s an endeavor?” — which is exactly why one company is changing its cookies’ tune. Apparently parents have been complaining that some of the romantic messages are a wee bit too adult for the younger set, so the world’s largest fortune-cookie maker is ditching any phrase with a hint of romance.

The Brooklyn-based company tells the New York Post that messages like “One who admires you greatly is hidden before your eyes,” “Romance and travel go together” and “The evening promises romantic interest” have all gotten the axe.

“Some parents sent us e-mails. They said they didn’t want their kids reading them,” said the company’s VP. “Different people have a different perspective.”

He added that any fortune that gets more than two or three complaints will be screened out to keep everyone happy.

“We want to put messages inside our cookies that don’t upset a single person. We don’t want customers to have negative feelings,” he said.

Instead of “you’ll meet someone a new romantic interest tonight” cookie lovers will get things like, “You make every day special.” Aww, but also, yawn. After all, there are a lot more terrible messages kids can see on TV and the Internet than “A romantic mystery will soon add interest to your life.”

Fortune cookies lose their romance after complaints from parents [New York Post]

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